My first project

I started woodworking 2 years ago when my wife registered me for a woodworking class at our local BOCES (vocational school) as a Christmas gift. Well, my teacher who was a carpenter/furniture maker was teaching this class for 1st time and told his 6 students “build whatever you want!” I’m sure he will not make that mistake again!! Anyway, I went home and designed this bench on some graph paper and after 10 three hour classes I came home with my first piece of furniture!

Because I didn’t own a single tool and I took right up to the last second of my last class to cut all of the mortises, the first picture was taken the night I got home from my last class and dry fit the bench for the very first time! I started this class 5 weeks earlier never having cut a piece of wood with a power tool in my life…Seeing this bench together for the first time was one of the proudest moments of my life.

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15 comments so far

Now, that’s a great first project, this is what you get when you learn woodworking the right way – a memorable piece for display. I forgot what my first project was, but it did have exposed sheet rock screws.

I agree that this is great first project as well. In fact I will go on to say that this would be a great second, or third project too. Great job. Now that you are flush with success what is next on your wife’s list (that usually determines what gets to be done- at least at my home anyway)?

By way of sharing my first- no make that second- project was a cherry corner cabinet that I eventually re-purposed to the deck as a plant stand. (My first was a 12” walnut display shelf, which actually came out ok).

Thanks for sharing.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

Thanks for the encouragement! Thankfully, since this project a few friends and family have commissioned some more projects which have been awesome to build. Like to most of you, woodworking to me is not a hobby, but a passion. I’m looking forward to learning and to contributing to this community. Thanks again.

Thanks for the compliments. Good luck with the project. I have found designing the piece to be just as much fun as building it!

Funny story about my tool collection, while I was building this desk at a woodworking class 10 friends and I had a $200/man “biggest loser” weight loss bet. Well, it was winner takes all prize money and I won the bet which funded my basement woodshop. I have added a few items since then, but the bulk of the tools came from that bet. Amazing what you can accomplish when you set a goal!